Revenge is a Dish Best Served Hot
by DaveBedford81
Summary: Castle, Beckett, and the NYPD, hunt for a serial rapist on the streets of New York. When Beckett is hurt, Castle is out for revenge to find the person responsible and almost pushes him over the edge to the point of no return.
1. Chapter 1

It's a stormy night in New York where in a high-rise apartment a young college student is finishing up her paper for a mid-term when she's startled by the breaking of a nearby window. The girl checks on the noise and finds nothing but when she returns, she's grabbed and knocked out by something that was administered through a syringe and tied up from behind using zip-ties. The camera quickly fades to black before anything is seen.

The morning after at Rick Castle's apartment with the bright sun hitting the bed, Castle is up early preparing a breakfast in bed for Beckett when he walks into the room with a tray of scrambled eggs, bacon, and strawberries as she's awakened by the smell of the food.

"Castle, did you bring me breakfast in bed?"

Castle smiles.

"Anything for the woman I love with all my heart."

Beckett smiles back.

"Thank you. I love you too."

_Beckett and Castle kiss. Beckett starts to eat her breakfast that Castle brought her but is interrupted by a call from the NYPD._

_"Det. Beckett. Alright, we'll be right there."_

_Beckett turns to Castle._

_"We gotta get going. We have a case._

_Later that same morning, Castle and Beckett arrive at the high-rise apartment where Ryan, Esposito, and Lanie, are presently where they find a young woman dead on the floor bound by zip-ties from behind._

_"Lanie, what do we have?" asks Beckett._

_"My preliminary findings show that the girl was stabbed 3 times and was sexually assaulted."_

_"Do we have an ID yet?"_

_"Margaret Wilson. A college student at NYU."_

_ Beckett scours the scene for clues and makes an eerie discovery that leaves Castle puzzled._

_"Oh, my god. The window in the other room was broken."_

_"Does that mean something to you?" asks Castle who seems puzzled._

_"Yes, it does. A serial rapist I was trying to capture used the same M.O. here but the strange thing is that he has never killed before until now. I wonder what suddenly changed?" _

_"He could've been desperate enough to cover his tracks. Did you have a prime suspect to the previous crimes?"_

"John Michael Thomas. We never had enough evidence to bring charges but I knew he was our guy."

_Beckett turns her attention to Ryan and Esposito._

_"Ryan, Esposito. I need you 2 to go pick-up John Michael Thomas and bring him to the NYPD for questioning."_

_"We're on it."_

_At the NYPD, Castle and Beckett are waiting as Ryan and Esposito bring in the suspect and place him in interrogation. Beckett enters the interrogation room and comes face-to-face with John._

_"Ah, Det. Beckett. Nice to see you again. Are you still on that wild goose chase from a few years ago?"_

_"Where were last night between 10 pm and midnight?"_

_"I was at the bar actually. By all means, ask the bartender." _

_"Oh, we will."_

_"I guess your trying pin a new rape on me like you did all the other times. It's such a pity because you never found a shred of evidence connecting me to the other crimes."_

_"I know it was you all along, you son of a bitch! This time your NOT getting away with it, I assure you." _

_"Good luck with your search, Det. Beckett, but just like before, you'll come up empty handed."_

_John Michael Thomas leaves the NYPD as he gives Det. Beckett a cocky smile in the sense he can't be caught when Ryan approaches after checking on the alibi but gives bad news._

_"I checked his alibi and well..."_

_"Don't tell me?"_

_"Yeah, unfortunately his alibi checked out."_

_"Dammit."_

_"Don't worry, Beckett. He must've slipped up somewhere and we'll keep digging til we find where," said Ryan confidently._

_"Good."_

_Beckett turns to Castle while holding his hand._

_"I have to go to my place for a few minutes but i'll be back soon."_

_"Alright. I love you."_

_"I love you too."_

_Later that day, Kate returns to her apartment/loft to pick-up a file regarding her previous case but as enters she realizes something is not right as she pulls her gun and sees a window broken and starts searching. She checks the rooms and finds nothing then she proceeds to check the closet in her bedroom but as she does, a masked man jumps out. Kate and the masked man struggle as she knees and kicks him in the face sending him crashing into the nearby table and breaking the lamp in the process. Kate gets up and tries to make a run for it but the masked man catches her in the living room and throws her to the ground violently and uses his syringe to knock out and sedate Kate. The masked man takes zip-ties from his pocket and ties Kate's hands from behind as the scene fades to black when the opening credits roll._


	2. Chapter 2

An hour has past and Castle starts to become worried because Beckett hasn't returned. Castle walks over to Ryan and Esposito's desk.

"Hey, uh, have you guys seen Beckett? She was supposed to return but she hasn't." Ryan turns to Castle.

"That doesn't seem like Beckett. She's usually very quick. Do you know what she went to pick up?"

"She said it was file regarding a previous case with John Michael Thomas. I wanna check on her. Can you two come along?"

"Sure, lets go."

Castle, Ryan, and Esposito, arrive at Beckett's loft to find her on floor in bad shape with cuts and bruises all over her face. Ryan and Esposito search the loft and find nothing but makes the discovery that her window was broken like the case with Margaret Wilson. Castle is frantic and beside himself with worry as he along with Ryan and Esposito rush Kate to the hospital.

In the ER of the hospital, Castle is sick with worry and guilt as the doctor examines Beckett.

Castle talks with Ryan and Esposito. "We have to find the bastard who did this to Beckett and put him down."

Esposito nods. "Don't worry, we will. They won't get away with hurting Beckett."

The doctor returns to Castle with news after examining Beckett. "Rick Castle? I'm the doctor who examined your fiance."

"What's the prognosis?"

"We ran a rape kit and it came back positive. Other than that, she'll be fine physically but mentally, it's gonna be a long road."

"Did you find any evidence as to who did this?"

"We found a hair and a fingernail scrapping. We gave the evidence to your officers to be examined."

Castle is devastated as he returns to Ryan and Esposito. "This is all my fault. This wouldn't have happened if I just went with her."

Ryan and Esposito put their arms around Castle. "This is not your fault. What happened here, you couldn't have prevented. Beckett will need all the support and we'll be there to give it to her and we'll find this person and bring him to justice."

The next day at the NYPD, Castle, Ryan, and Esposito, are more shocked than surprised to see Beckett come into work. Castle walks over to Beckett to speak with her.

"Beckett, shouldn't you be at home resting? You went through a horrific and traumatic experience."

"Castle, I came to work to take my mind off what happened and I'm doing fine, ok?"

"I understand that your trying to put up a brave face but your obviously not ok."

"Don't claim to know what i'm going through because you don't!"

Captain Gates exits her office and sees Det. Beckett. "Det. Beckett, It's a surprise to see you here today. Can I please see you in my office?"

Det. Beckett goes in Capt. Gates' office and closes the door as she pulls up a chair to sit down. "What did you want to see me about, Capt. Gates?"

"This maybe a redundant question but how are you doing?"

"As I told Castle, I'm fine. I came to work to find the man who did this to me."

"I'm sorry but I can't allow that, Det. Beckett. I'm pulling you off the case."

"But sir..."

"Your too close to this case already and i'm implementing that you go home for a week and get better so you can return healthy."

Beckett is reluctant but agrees in the end. "Fine."

"Alright. I also want you to talk a doctor to help you deal with what happened." Beckett nods as she leaves the office.

Outside, Beckett runs into Castle. "Hey, what did Capt. Gates want?"

"She relieved me of my duties and told me to go home."

"I'm glad. Capt. Gates has your best interest at heart and wants you 100%"

Castle kisees Beckett on the forehead and she smiles. "Go back to my place and lock the door. I think my mom and Alexis will be there later."

"Ok."

Later that same day, Ryan and Esposito are working when a young woman shows up." "Excuse me, I'm looking for a detective."

"I'm Det. Ryan. What can we help you with?"

"I have information regarding John Michael Thomas."

"What kind of information?"

"Information about the sexual assault of Margaret Wilson."

"We'll speak in interrogation and take your statement."

Ryan and Esposito take the woman into interrogation as Castle listens from outside. "Ok, what do you know?"

"I was at the bar when you were checking his alibi and I remember him leaving between 8 an 10 that night. He snuck out the backdoor and returned a short time later where he payed the bartender off to vouge for him."

"Why didn't you come forward sooner?"

"I was scared of what he would do to me."

Ryan and Esposito exit interrogation and see Castle. "We finally have the son of a bitch!"


	3. Chapter 3

Ryan and Esposito decide to bring in the bartender from the bar where John Michael Thomas was the other night to confirm the eyewitnesses' story. Ryan and Esposito pick-up the bartender and put him in interrogation which leaves the man visibly nervous.

"Why am I here? I thought I answered your questions the other night."

"Oh, you did," said Ryan as he pulled up the chair to the table staring the man down.

"Then, what the what the HELL am I doing here?!"

"We received new information from an eyewitness at the bar that puts your whole story in question. In other words, your story doesn't jive," said Esposito explaining the situation.

"Your witness was probably drunk off their ass and didn't know what they saw."

"The witness said they saw you accepting money from the prime suspect after he left during the time in question of the first rape," said Ryan.

"That's a lie!" exclaimed the man.

"How 'bout we charge you with obstruction and accessory after the fact? Maybe that'll jog your memory," said Esposito trying to rattle the man.

"Fine, fine. Ok? What the witness said was true. Mr. Thomas paid me to back-up his story. I swear I didn't know what he was gonna do," said the man pleading.

Ryan and Esposito exit the interrogation as Castle waiting for them when Lanie Parish shows up with news regarding evidence taken from Beckett's kit.

"I got the results back from the tests."

"And?" asked Castle.

"The evidence from Beckett's kit came back to your prime suspect, John Michael Thomas. The hair and fingernail scrappings were a match."

Castle heads off with Ryan and Esposito to John Michael Thomas' last known address to arrest him. When they arrive at the address, their suspect is nowhere to be found and on the loose. Ryan and Esposito sweep the place but nothing. Before they leave, Ryan puts an APB out on John Michael Thomas.

The 3 return to the NYPD and continue to persue leads to try to bring their suspect in but Castle decides to leave to go home and check on Beckett.

Castle returns to his loft and finds Beckett sleeping on the couch. He approaches her slowly and says something while kneeling next her.

"You were right, sweetie. John Michael Thomas was our guy. Ryan and Esposito tried to arrest him but he wasn't there. If they can't bring him in, I have to take matters in my own hand to avenge you."

Beckett starts to stir but doesn't wake up as Castle goes into his private room with his desk and books. Castle pulls out a box and takes a loaded gun and leaves his loft.

Castle goes to the bar where John Michael Thomas was last seen and to his surprise, he's sitting at a table in the corner and decides to approach him.

"May I join you?" asks Castle.

"Aren't you the world famous author, Richard Castle?"

"I wouldn't say I'm world famous, but yeah, that's me."

"Sure. Pull up a chair."

"Alright," said Castle as he sits down.

"What brings you by, Mr. Castle?" asks John.

"I'm researching a story about you."

"Me? I'm not that interesting."

"Yes, you are. More than you know," said Castle pulling the gun and pointing it at his stomach from the under-belly of the table.

"What the…,"

"Don't say a word. Stand-up and walk outside and don't make a scene."

Castle walks John Michael Thomas outside while holding the gun to his back and leads him to a darkened alley. Castle points the gun at his chest.

"Care to explain what the hell we're doing out here, Mr. Castle."

"It's about what you did to my fiancée, Det. Beckett."

"That's your fiancée? She's a cute, little, thing. Tell me, how did she like her time with me?" enquired John as a sick smile crossed his lips.

"You're a sick bastard, you know that?" said Castle getting upset. "Why did you do it?"

"That bitch should've heeded the warnings and not dug into this. It was her fault that this happened to her. If she had only listened, we wouldn't be here today."

Castle cocks the gun and shoots John Michael Thomas leaving him for dead on the ground in the darkened alley. Unbeknownst to Castle after he leaves, a surveillance camera caught the shooting on tape but only showed his back.

TO BE CONTINUED…..


End file.
